Sleep away in an FL12 tipper
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by Bryan Jarvis • One of East Anglia's largest rigid bulk tipping operators, G Webb Haulage, has taken delivery of rhat it believes is the first sleepercabbed Volvo FL12 eightlegger.
It's also the first rigid in the 22-strong fleet to have Harsh underfloor tipping gear.
Supplied by Duff ields of Wisbech, Webb's new 32tonner is powered by the beefy 340hp (253kW) 12litre engine with two-stage engine brake, nine-speed transmission and doubledrive bogie driveline usually found in heavier artic units.
Because of its high mileage, mainly on-road operation, Webb has specified 3.336;1 differentials.
The new tipper has a heavy-duty 27m3 Wilcox aluminium tipper body; the rear half is built with 10nun floor and 6mm sides but it still manages to tare out at 11.47 tonnes.
This is some 100kg ighter than its most recent FL1Os but with Alcoa wheels and the slightly lighter Harsh L120 twinram under-body hoist, the FL12 8x4 tipper still manages to achieve payloads of more than 20 tonnes.
Webb usually fits Edbro underfloor hydraulics but opted for Harsh to gain a slightly higher 55° tip angle and be able to offload cleanly on sites without having to shunt the vehicle.
"We've gone for Volvo's FL12 in preparation for our next generation of tippers," says director David Webb, "and it's all to do with getting the whole-life operating costs down."
He expects the big higher-torque 12-litre engine to deliver better fuel economy—around the 8.5mpg mark—as well as giving improved durability, faster journey times and lower downtime costs.
The Webb tippers work as far afield as Cumbria and the Millennium Dome site in Greenwich, southeast London—hence the sleeper cabs. The configuration enables maximum payloads to be attained within the specific axle loadings.